Page 45 of Vathia
I slowly move over to her, leaning against the curve of the alcove’s branches. “It should be as easy as breathing. You need to picture what you want in your head and then push it out into the dreamscape. The trick is to try to picture as many details as you can visualize in your mind. Try something small, like changing the colors of the throw pillows.”
The space between her brows scrunch together as she concentrates, and after a moment I watch as the deep green pillows turn into a dusky lavender.
“Open your eyes, Little Dream,” I whisper, pride thudding through my body. At least she’s able to use this part of her magick. I was worried about the block she has, but maybe because she’s more attuned to the dream realm, it’s easier.
“I did it!” she giggles, looking more carefree than I’ve seen since we’ve been reunited.
I swallow nervously. “There’s something else I want to show you, if that’s okay?”
Ravina gives me her full attention, eagerness written across her face but I’m not sure how she’s going to feel about this next part. “What?”
“I would like to show you a memory. The memory of my mother asking me to keep your existence away from the others. The reason why we were going to keep you hidden away until the war was over and we could bring you home.”
Her face hardens. “I don’t see why you think that would help anything. What’s done is done.”
I stride over to her cupping her face. “Because I need to make amends, but first I need you to see. Please,” I whisper.
She searches my eyes before nodding. “Fine, but only because you think it may help.”
Anxiety and relief swarm me, but before I can change my mind, I reach into the dream magick and change the scene before us, playing out the memory from all those years ago.
Before us stand me and my mother in her study. She has pulled me out of bed and my white hair is ruffled as my mother draws me towards her with fear etched on her face. I can’t help but watch the twelve-year-old version of myself look up at her in confusion.
“Aemon,” Ravina whispers from beside me. “You were so young, it’s just how I remember you…”
“Just watch,” I whisper hoarsely.
My mother hugs the younger version of me before holding me back at an arms length. “Aemon. I need you to do something really important for me. You want to protect Maeven, right?”
Younger me nods. “I will always protect Mae. What’s going on? Is she okay?”
A stray tear leaks from her gaze. “I just got word that the Queen and her family were attacked tonight—”
“But that can’t be! I was just there tonight, we exchanged presents and father brought me home because—”
“We will not speak of your father right now. Now listen to me.” She grabs my chin, forcing me to look up at her, and I watch as my lip trembles trying to keep my emotions in lock. The shadows around the room pulse, my magick still unsteady due to the newness of my powers. “Maeven has been taken, hidden by a trusted person. She is alive.”
Younger me interrupts. “Thank the fates. I need to tell the others, I’ll use your pixie,” I state turning to run. The others need to know she’s okay.
“No!” she grabs my wrist firmly, which has me turning back towards her, giving her my undivided attention. “You can’t tell them. You can’t tell anyone. The queen gave me strict orders. I need you to be strong. Until one day when the fae who did this are gone. You need to find her and bring her home. If the wrong person hears she’s still alive, they will kill her—do you understand me, Aemon?”
I watch my younger self straighten. “Who did this, mother? I want to help end them. Mae needs to come home now. Why can’t she come here? She would be safer under our protection here.”
“Oh my sweet fledgling,” she whispers tearily. “She’s safer where she’s going. Her mother swore that her handmaiden would protect her. Having her here right now would put a target on Vathia. There’s a plan, but in case something happens to me, you need to know. Your friends will understand.”
“Why me?” my younger self questions. “Why not the others?”
“Because my darling, you can find her in your dreams when the time is right. You are the key to bringing her home.”
I pull us out of the memory, bringing us back to our dreamscape, and when I turn to Ravina, her face is wet.
“Why would she ask that of you? Why keep the others in the dark for so long?” She glances up at me, the red rims of her teary eyes bringing out the blue.
Reaching out, I pull her into me. “Because my mother kept secret the fact that it was our fathers who staged the coup, that they killed your family and your kind. I’m the oldest, and I was the only one of us who had come into my magick at the time. When we found out who was behind it, I had already beenkeeping the secret for so long that I couldn’t bear to see them suffer the way I had: knowing you were alive but not being able to be around you. I wanted to protect them from that. They wouldn’t have been able to stop themselves from going after you, and I was determined to make sure you stayed safe.
“Then I started connecting with you in our dreams and it eased some of the pain from being away from you. I tried to protect you from the nightmares you were having. I swear Ravina, if I’d realized those were memories and not dreams I would have said screw it and burnt down that damn village sooner. Damn the whole plan.”
She does something I don’t expect and pulls me into a hug. “I’m not mad at you for leaving me in that village, despite everything. Getting conscripted to Phixmery was probably one of the best things to happen to me in a long time. I met my friends, who have turned into my chosen family, and I found you all again, even if I didn’t know it at the time. But I’m still a bit upset how you abandoned me when we arrived in Kraryn before the others. I was alone, I needed you.”
